He chased down an armed suspect who pulled a gun on another man during a brawl outside a downtown Minneapolis police station, running headlong toward danger and a potentially deadly confrontation.
After a brief but tense standoff, he persuaded the man to put down his weapon and surrender. No shots were fired.
Now Brent Rasmussen has been named Officer of the Year by the Minnesota Police and Peace Officers Association.
The award is given out annually to officers around the state who display "outstanding service, exemplary job performance or heroism" in the line of duty, according to the association.
Also recognized were a St. Paul cop, Joseph Sauer, whose quick-thinking helped find a 7-year-old girl kidnapping victim; and Hennepin County sheriff's deputy Jeff Marshall, who in addition to his work with the mentally ill and the homeless, was honored for an arrest in which he pulled over three men who officials say were manufacturing methamphetamine in their vehicle. One of the men had a warrant out for his arrest, and a search of the car turned up a gun and some ammunition.
"He's just a solid street cop," Minneapolis Police Federation president Lt. Bob Kroll said of Rasmussen. "He's a digger; he investigates suspicious things. Given the climate now, it's easy for some to say 'I'm not going to stick my neck out, it's just not worth it,' but that's not in his makeup."
Minneapolis Police Federation treasurer Dave Garman nominated Rasmussen, noting that the officer's courage was demonstrated in several other incidents, including one episode last July in which he arrested a woman who had just robbed a group of guests at a downtown hotel. Another time, he interrupted a burglary in progress.
"These activities and calls are a snapshot into the exemplary work that Officer Rasmussen does on a regular basis," Garman wrote.
